OSCE Representative condemns arrest of Austrian journalist Max Zirngast in Turkey, calls on authorities to immediately release him
WARSAW, 12 September 2018 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today strongly condemned the arrest of Austrian journalist Max Zirngast and the continued prosecution of journalists in Turkey.
Max Zirngast, a contributor to several Austrian magazines and a student of political science, was detained in Ankara on Tuesday morning, along with several other people. According to media reports, it is widely believed that he was arrested on terrorism charges for articles and political publications he had written.
“I strongly condemn this arrest and call on the Turkish authorities to immediately take action and release him. This is an additional example of the severe conditions and constraints faced by journalists in Turkey for simply carrying out their professional activities and reporting on the situation in the country,” Désir said.
The Representative recalled that anti-terrorism legislation that is widely used to restrict media freedom puts the media at risk and needs to be changed to correspond to international standards.
“I will continue insisting that journalists must be able to work without fear of being detained or in any way intimidated. This worrying trend of arresting journalists, including foreign journalists, must be reversed. Freedom of the media and access to diverse sources of information must be respected in line with Turkey's OSCE commitments,” Désir said.
Désir expressed his hope that Zirngast will be freed soon, without sharing the same fate as other foreign journalists such as French journalist Loup Bureau and German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel. Both were released after strong international appeals with Bureau imprisoned for seven weeks and Yücel spending a year in pre-trial detention. Yücel, who still faces a prison sentence if convicted, was accused of propaganda in support of a terrorist organization and inciting the public to violence. For previous statements, see https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/372521.
The Representative is currently in Warsaw attending the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM), Europe's largest annual human rights and democracy conference.
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. He provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.